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Statute of Limitations on Debt in Hawaii

In Hawaii, a creditor generally has 6 years to sue to recover a debt founded on any contract, written or oral, including a promissory note or an account.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Hawaii at a glance

Written contracts
6 years
Oral contracts
6 years
Promissory notes
6 years
For a negotiable note payable at a definite time, counted from the due date or accelerated due date.
Open accounts
6 years
Covers any debt founded upon any contract, obligation, or liability.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Hawaii

What is the statute of limitations for a written contract in Hawaii?

Written contracts in Hawaii: 6 years.

What is the statute of limitations for an oral contract in Hawaii?

Oral contracts in Hawaii: 6 years.

What is the statute of limitations on a promissory note in Hawaii?

Promissory notes in Hawaii: 6 years. For a negotiable note payable at a definite time, counted from the due date or accelerated due date.

What is the statute of limitations on an open account, such as a credit card, in Hawaii?

Open accounts in Hawaii: 6 years. Covers any debt founded upon any contract, obligation, or liability.

Where do the Hawaii statutes of limitations on debt come from?

The rules above come from Haw. Rev. Stat. 657-1 and Haw. Rev. Stat. 490:3-118. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

Debts founded on a contract, obligation, or liability made under chapter 577A are governed by that chapter instead.

What this means in practice

The clock usually starts when the debt is breached, which for a loan or account is often the date of the missed payment or the last payment made. In some states a new payment or a written acknowledgment of the debt can restart or extend the period, so the starting date matters as much as the length.

A statute of limitations is generally a defense the person being sued has to raise. If a lawsuit on an old debt is filed and nobody responds, the court can enter a judgment even if the period had expired. Judgments have their own, separate enforcement periods.

Which state's deadline applies is not always obvious. Contracts may contain a choice of law clause, and some states have borrowing statutes that apply a shorter period from another state. Federal rules also bar debt collectors from suing or threatening to sue on time-barred consumer debt. For a specific dispute, check the statute and consider talking to an attorney.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.